JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Whether you sleep soundly through the night could have a lot to do with your last meal or SNACK of the day.
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There are different foods that either help or hurt your chances of getting a goodnight sleep. You likely know that caffeine and alcohol can interrupt your sleep patterns but so can a very popular late-night snack: sweets.
Any cookies, cake, and dessert high in added sugars can affect your blood sugar levels. And saturated fats can cause acid reflux. The same goes for fried or ULTRA-processed foods or snacks.
You might not expect this, but even white bread can affect your sleep because the refined and processed grains raise blood sugar levels.
Finally, you’ll want to avoid spicy or acidic foods. They trigger indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux which all interfere with sleep.
That even goes for tomatoes which are great for you throughout the day, just not so much at night. When it comes to foods that help you sleep, you also want to opt for unsaturated fats like nuts or even peanut butter.
The Sleep Foundation points out that nuts contain melatonin along with minerals like magnesium and zinc, all of which help you relax.
Cleveland Clinic experts also recommend a good, soothing drink like warm milk (my grandmother’s go-to) or herbal tea like chamomile or peppermint.
Just be sure it ISN’T caffeinated.
And this one is still being researched but The Sleep Foundation says kiwis are also a good late-night snack.
It cites a study that found people who ate two kiwis one hour before bedtime fell asleep faster, slept more, and had better sleep quality.
Tuesday on the Morning Show, we’ll take a closer look at a popular pre-bedtime drink. The science behind “sleepy mocktails” taking social media by storm and if they actually work during the 8 o’clock hour.